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6th July 2020, 06:52 PM | #1 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 1,601
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Quote:
The Muslim religion does not specifically forbid images of living things, but idolatry. Some interpretations of the Quran link images of living creatures with idolatry, hence why it is avoided, but there are exceptions. For example, there are a dragon and a phoenix on Sultan Suleyman I's famous yataghan, and monster (sometimes referred to as doplphin) heads on the scabbard chapes of thousands of yataghans from the 19th century. Obviously, any outright worshipping of the sun itself would be unacceptable. An interpretation of the circle and dot motif in a Muslim context that I have seen is that it represents Allah, as the dot in the middle and his control over the universe, as the circle around him. Whether this is true or not I cannot tell, as only the artists who applied these symbols really knew their actual meaning. However, often times a symbol will be repeated in folk art, its meaning and interpretation changing over time. Such symbols exist all over the world and predate Islam. The origin of the symbol is therefore most likely of a solar nature. After the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans and the conversion to Islam of certain parts of the population, its meaning may have been adapted to the new religion, while it remained in use in applied arts. As for the three dot in a circle symbol, I will just point out that it was popular all over the Balkans, not just in Bosnia. In what is nowadays Bulgaria, it was used along with the single dot in a circle motif for decorating the hilts of shepherd's knives (or karakulaks), this particular type of knives referred to as "ashirtmaliya" (the word of Turkish origin meaning "decorated") in knife smith inventory books. |
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26th August 2020, 08:34 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 668
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Quite some Bosnian bichaqs (especially the handles), are mostly inspired / derived from the yataghans by their makers.
Obviously from the pre Habsburg era, these examples were Ottoman yataghans. Hereby enclosed an overview of the different types of yataghan handles Last edited by gp; 26th August 2020 at 09:17 PM. |
7th September 2020, 07:11 PM | #3 |
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Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 668
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I recently purchased this one which :
- has not the typical circular and colored ornaments on the handle which can be found on the "Habsburgian Bosniaken" ones - has all other criteria match and determine it as a Bosnian or at least a Balkan one I believe - has a stamp on the blade which I have seen somewhere but can't recall where unfortunately no scabbard though... so kindly requested to assist as I am very much looking forward to your advice on its age, the stamp and if I am correct or mistaken concerning the origin, much obliged ! take care and stay healthy you all ! Gunar Last edited by gp; 7th September 2020 at 07:24 PM. |
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